You don't have to wait for Brickell's newest Japanese bar to open to try its food.

Uchiba, the bar-focused sister of James Beard Award winner Tyson Cole's Uchi, is running preview happy hours at its two Miami siblings through Nov. 15. The pop-ups run every day from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Where to go

  • Uchi Miami, 252 NW 25th St., Wynwood. Exclusive dishes: chicken thigh skewers and pork belly.
  • Uchiko Miami Beach, 1759 Purdy Ave., Sunset Harbour. Exclusive dishes: nasu bao and Tiger Cry bao.

What's on the menu

Both spots serve a shared preview menu. It includes edamame jalapeno hummus with wonton chips and black lime togarashi, and karaage, Japanese fried chicken, with kimchi caramel, jalapeno and yuzu pear.

There is also an Uchiba salad with spicy greens, miso Caesar dressing, hazelnut and Parmesan, plus sunomono, a cucumber salad, with mango and spicy ponzu.

The drinks lean playful. The Dirty Ranch Water mixes tequila, olive brine, lime and pineapple nuoc mam. The Shiso Daiquiri pairs white rum with shiso and lime, and the Uzume blends gin, sake, cucumber and Thai chili. The zero-proof Lychee Fauxtini is made with lychee, ube and yuzu, Premier Guide Miami reported.

Prices for the preview menu were not part of the announcement, so ask your server.

What Uchiba will be

Uchiba means "Uchi bar." It takes cues from Japanese izakayas, the casual pubs where people share small plates over drinks. Expect yakitori, Japanese whisky, cocktails and reworked Uchi favorites.

The concept opened in Dallas in 2018, then in Austin in 2023 and Charlotte this year. Miami will be its first Florida location.

The Brickell spot takes over the former Toscano Divino space at Mary Brickell Village, about 3,600 square feet, according to the center's owner, Kimco Realty. Kimco first said it would open in late spring 2026. The team now says later this winter.

Chef de cuisine Juan Esteban Paz, a former sous chef at Uchi Miami, will run the kitchen. The room is planned with moody lighting, warm wood, velvet, booths and a central bar.

Hungry for more new openings? See La Pecora Bianca at Merrick Park and Anako in Little River.

A small yakitori izakaya in Tokyo
A yakitori izakaya in Tokyo, the style of pub that inspires Uchiba. Source